A Special Setrap Meditation

A personal message from myself to Datin Jennifer. Datin Jennifer is very devoted to Setrap. She has completed one million mantras already and daily still does one hundred rounds on her rosary to Setrap! That is 10,000 mantras per day.

I was so happy for her. I decided to tape a Setrap meditation for her to listen to. It would help her very much more. I also thought it would benefit many more people also. So decided to have it available.

Enlightened protectors like Setrap not only take care of our temporal needs/problems, but with continued devotions, they lead us to practices that rid sufferings from the core. They have the omniscience, compassion, skillful means to do so. Reliance upon them are very helpful. We do not need alot, but relying on one loyally such as Setrap will be more than enough. Setrap is a general protector of the BuddhaDharma. He has sworn to Shakyamuni, Guru Rinpoche and Loden Sherab to protect those sincerely in need.

My good wishes to everyone.

Tsem Rinpoche

Transcript

A Special Setrap Meditation – by Tsem Rinpoche

Transcribed by Rachel

Proof read by Philip Yong

Dear Datin, your daughter told me that you have done a million Setrap mantras, that you do your Serkym, golden drink or black tea, every single day and she also told me that you do approximately 100 malas of Setrap mantras per day. I was very, very happy and I was very relieved and I was very excited and also, if I may say so, proud for you and I wanted to put this little tape recording for you. Right now in the room is just me and you daughter and Monlam and Pastor Loh Seng Piow and it’s just us. And I wanted to put a recording down and I sent an sms to Paris asking where she was because I wanted to come up and explain and it just happened that it was in the Ladrang downstairs so it was kind of like, it all just matched perfectly. I wanted to give you a special meditation for Setrap for the next level and the meditation is not very long and complicated and there’s no way you can go wrong, even if you meditate on wrong completely. And that’s what I want to stress to you Datin, is you can’t go wrong with Setrap, it’s impossible to go wrong with Setrap. It’s impossible to do anything wrong with Setrap, it’s impossible to get him angry, it’s impossible to get harm from him. It is absolutely not in existences, possibility even for a minute percentage that he can harm or punish or not be pleased with what you’re doing, as long as you are doing from your heart. You see, you can recite his mantra completely wrong, you can do his offerings completely wrong. You can do his Sadhana and his black tea completely wrong and he will not look at that, but you see through that medium, through that vehicle, you will be contacting Lord Setrap. So if it’s wrong mantra, wrong prayer, wrong Serkym, wrong ritual, but you see when you think about him, he’s there immediately because he has the speed of thought.

So when he looks at you and he says hey, you know this person, this woman, this practitioner, this devotee is evoking me and her prayers are such and she’s doing this ritual, he rejoices. Because you have to understand, his mind doesn’t operate on a normal, ordinary basis; he’s omniscient and all perceptive; he is all perceiving and all knowing. Hence, all there is to be known, (3:05 – Tibetan), all things to be known, he knows, he perceives. So therefore, having that omniscience is a sign he has expelled and deleted, all forms of defilements and obscurations and because of that he is a fully enlightened Buddha.

So one of the obscurations, or defilements is anger, or pride. So, if he has no anger and it’s been deleted, there’s no possible way anger can arise. I mean real, real anger cannot arise. So, since there’s no anger, there’s no vengeance. There’s no anger and there’s no vengeance, there’s no action or harm or harming. So therefore, on that logical basis, I want you to keep it in your mind and I want you to get out of this Taoist, Chinese, whatever kind of thinking that if I do it wrong these Gods are gonna get me. They will never get you, never ever get you. Alright? There are such more, 100 thousand times percent more worse people than you that praises Setrap and he doesn’t get them and when he takes trance, he’s compassionate to them, and he’s nice to them and he’s sweet to them and he’s kind – I’ve seen it. There are exceptional cases where he shows wrath, but that wrath is not anger or harm or punishment, or your gonna get it; it’s a wrath of removing the obstacle of the person.

So, it is not feasible, logical and against all scriptural authority or scriptural basis to think that we can do something wrong and then Setrap’s gonna harm us, or something’s not gonna be right, or if Setrap doesn’t harm us, it won’t produce good result. Impossible. So I want you to put that out of your mind one hundred percent, one hundred precent. I want you to put that out of your mind. And I’m gonna share this tape with other people and you are the inspiration, because when we give a Dharma talk, it is always for somebody and when others listen to it, many, many people will benefit from it. Alright? So this is for you, but I’m gonna share this with other people too. Alright? But you are the inspiration for me to speak this; you are definitely the inspiration Datin Jennifer.

Now, doing the black tea, doing the rituals, the mantra and all that is very wonderful, it’s very, very powerful and it’s very efficacious. So what I would like you to do every single day is this: is I would like you to start with it by reciting Namo Guru bey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya, Namo Guru bey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya, Namo Guru bey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya; and I want you to recite that and I want you to think you take refuge in all universal teachers, all teachers that have arisen to give Dharma, or to give spiritual relief to others – you take refuge. Take refuge means you trust. Alright? For example the Dalai Lama, you know, for example any literally ascended master or enlightened master, you take refuge in.

The second refuge is Namo Buddhaya which is you take refuge in all beings or fully ascended. Ascended means out of Samsara; out of Samsara’s suffering; out of the clutches of Samsara. I take refuge in the Dharma, Namo Dharmaya, means: I take refuge in doctrines, philosophies, teachings and explanations that help any individual lessen selfishness, increase selflessness and generate the mind of compassion. So, any teachings that exist in the universe, not just on planet earth because as you know there are masters everywhere that teach anything, that reduces selfishness and increases selflessness and helps us go to the goal of achieving Bodhicitta or compassion, I take refuge in those teachings. Because the Buddha’s teachings can manifest in many guises and many forms and many ways; it doesn’t have to be labelled Buddhism, or Dharma – it doesn’t have to be labelled in that way. Since it doesn’t have to be labelled in that way, any teaching that teaches the reduction of selfishness and increase of compassion, is a correct path. Why? Because the cause of all suffering and the cause of all problems and the cause of all difficulties is selfishness. Alright? Everything else – enemies, you know, financial problems, difficulties, you know, anger, you know, a break-up, disharmony, disease – all that arises from our actions and those actions arise from the selfish mind and when those actions arise from the selfish mind, then the result will be something that comes back to us that harms us. So all other types of problems, difficulties, obstacles and fears all arise one hundred percent, indirectly and directly, from the selfish mind.

Hence, what is important is to alleviate that, to alleviate the selfish mind completely. Hence, any teachings that teach us to reduce the selfish mind, and to increase it to selflessness, and to develop compassion, I take refuge in. I take refuge and confidence in, I rejoice in and I pray for it’s propagation. Then the last is, you should think, the third of the refuges – Guru and Buddha are one, Dharma is two, number three is Sangha. So when you take refuge in the Sangha, you take refuge in all beings, who work selflessly for others, all beings that have absorbed the selfless path, or any religion, of any path, of any background, of any spiritual denomination, it doesn’t matter; they have worked for the benefit of others. Since they work for the benefit of others and they constantly strive to benefit others, I take refuge in them, take confidence in them, I take complete faith in them, I trust them, I will emulate then and I and wish them long life, continued success, great works, and may I become just like them one day.

So therefore, when I say Namo Gurubey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sangaya, what you should do every single day in your practice now is to recite that either seven, twenty-one or one hundred and eight times, thinking about what I just shared with you. Thinking about that, contemplating and recite that, because that is a very powerful formula to recite Namo Gurubey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sangaya – it’s very, very protective; very powerful. And with that type of thinking. And if you don’t know what to meditate on or if you want to rest your mind, you can simply visualise Setrap. Visualise Setrap with, maybe, Shakyamuni in his heart, Tsongkhapa in his heart, Tara in his heart – it doesn’t really matter because they’re all enlightened beings, but visualise and think ‘I take refuge’. And when you take refuge in Setrap, when you take refuge in the Buddha, you can see him in his ordinary form, which is, you know, ferocious, his normal form, what you’re used to, with the flags and all that, but the face should be smiling at you, not wrathful, with the big bulging eyes, his face is placid like a very happy, beautiful Lama and very pleasant towards you – that’s a very auspicious way to think. So you should recite Namo Gurubey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sangaya well, seven, twenty-one, one hundred and eight times. All right? You don’t have to be consistent every day in the number, but just being consistent in doing some.

Then after you’ve done Namo Gurubey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sangaya, whatever amount of times you’ve decided, then what’s the second thing you can do is this: do Shantideva’s prayer, which Paris will provide for you. You do Shantideva’s beautiful prayer, long or short form, up to you, and you contemplate on that very strongly and you think that you wish every word of that prayer to come true, you wish every word of that prayer to manifest and you add your own special prayers and your own special wishes and most important is at the end of that Shantideva’s prayer, where you pray that you may manifest all the time in the future, even if one sentient being remains, may you remain in Samsara to free them. Think of that prayer very strongly, think of that to manifest and come true. Setrap will be very pleased. Alright? So after you recite that prayer then you do your normal whatever you usually do and then you do your Setrap prayers, you do your Setrap Serkym and you do your Setrap Mantra and after you finish your mantra, I would like to add on to this, is it would be very good if you do Yonten Shigyurma, which Paris will show you how, and that will be a dedication. That dedication will encompass all dedications, and on special days, perhaps once a month, alright, perhaps one a month, day and time and place – whatever – you choose. Then at the end of everything, you recite The King of Prayers instead of Yonten Shigyurma. Alright? And if you wish to do The King of Prayers at the end everyday, that’s up to you, but I’m sure you know what you’re timing is, so I leave it to you. And I don’t want you to get nervous ‘Oh Rinpoche told me to do it everyday, I didn’t do it. Let’s not get into all of that, let’s not get into this kind of fear Dharma, fear religion, if you don’t do it you go to hell. That’s not what this is about. I’m telling you can do it once a month, whenever you like, you just follow that and don’t even question it, don’t even say is it ok if I do it twice a month – you can do it fifty times a month. And if you skip one month cos you forgot, do it the next month – nothing’s gonna happen. So you just relax; no fears, no paranoia absolutely zero, zero, zero negative consequences. If I say to you go to the gym once a month and you skip one month – what’s gonna happen? So you get a little fatter. Big deal, we lose it next month we do it twice. Alright. And Setrap is much better than the gym; there’s no cellulite problems here.

So anyway, Namo Gurubey, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sangaya – refuge formula, refuge mantra. This is called refuge mantra. (14:41 – Tibetan) or refuge mantra, after that you an do Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavitara prayer – short or long, up to you. Then you think ‘oh can I do long sometimes…can I do short sometimes’. I know you’re complicated. You can do either one whenever you like, however you like, no problem. Because, the point of the prayer is not to bind you and tie you down and chain you and say if you don’t do it you’re gonna get it. The point of the prayer is to help us to focus our energies of why we’re doing Setrap. I repeat: the reason we do Shantideva’s prayer is to help us to think why we are doing Shantideva’s prayer. Alright? So therefore, don’t have fear. Then after Shantideva you do your normal Setrap ritual. Sometimes you do the long version, sometimes you do the short version. Sometimes you don’t do black tea, sometimes you do the mantra. It’s ok. Setrap doesn’t mind. No one minds. Let me just give you a little teeny example. On planet earth there’s 6 billion people and 20 billion animals and insects, I don’t know. So there’s like 30 or 40 billion sentient beings in planet earth, and that’s planet earth and then there’s another hundred million planets that have intelligent life forms we are told by scientists, ok. There’s another hundred million planets minimum. That has intelligent life forms. So all these other planets have like, you know, 40 billion life forms, they put that all together then there’s this teeny little woman on planet earth who forgot Setrap’s prayer. I think he’s quite busy to worry you didn’t do his prayer. You just do his mantra and he’ll be fine. I mean he could be at another part of the universe helping somebody, he’s not gonna look back and say ‘oh well she didn’t do my prayer, that’s it, I’m not gonna bless her’. I don’t think so. Ok, so you don’t think like that. You understand? So I want you to totally relax and I want you to totally be happy – you do whatever you can.

And the second thing is I want to reiterate to you, you make offerings on your altar and you can sit there for a few minutes, you can sit there for a few hours, you can sit there for a few days. Doesn’t matter one difference to Setrap how many hours or day you sit – it’s the sincerity. Alright. You sit on the chair comfortably, you don’t torture yourself and sit on the floor because you will meet prosperous people who find it difficult to sit on the floor for a long time. Yes you can watch TV and do it. Why can you watch TV and do it? Because you’re gonna watch TV anyway. I watch TV, so we may as well do mantras and watch TV, then TV and no mantras. You get what I mean? So you just relax. If you fall asleep, just continue your mantras ok.

Now, that is the basic practice that I want to give you, that is the step by step recitation I’m giving. Now the next step is I’m gonna give you the visualisation. When you do the visualisation during the mantra visualisation (17:50 – mantra). This I want you to do. I want you to visualise Amitabha Buddha; red and resplendent. And totally beautiful, in front of you. An arms length away and his size is that of a thumb. And his details are complete; he’s handsome, he’s sixteen years old, his body is straight, his colour is that of a ruby – shiny, resplendent – wearing the robes of a monk, his hair is cropped like that of a monk with an ushnisha on top and he’s sitting in a full lotus posture, with his right hand inside his left, with his thumbs touching, in meditation posture and he has a very gentle, beautiful gaze, with blue eyes, looking at you, with long lashes and a very beautiful resplendent face, that’s timeless. And he’s smiling, he’s very gentle, he’s extremely, extremely loving and compassionate because he’s a Buddha. And within Amitabha, are all the Buddhas, all the awakened beings, all the enlightened beings – within him. Then, Amitabha looks all over into Samsara and sees so much sufferings, so much problems, so much difficulties, so much endless grasping and endless chasing of actions and deeds that bring people even more sufferings. And Amitabha is very, very concerned, he’s very moved, he’s very, very, very much wanting to help. So from this motivation of wanting to help and benefit, from this motivation of wanting to be of tremendous help and tremendous benefit, then from Amitabha’s heart, a light comes and it comes before him and it envelopes his whole body. And from this light, red light, flames appear. Within these flames, a horse appears, very powerful, very fierce, very wrathful, very strong, very, very quick, like lightening and then on top this horse arises from this fire and lights of compassion and wisdom and protection. Compassion and wisdom and protection. Arises the glorious king of all protectors, Lord Setrap. His face is red, like that of a very old General and he has three eyes that are bulging, blood-shot. Why? Because he’s extreme in wanting to remove your obstacles and he’s so extreme in wanting to remove it, he is so energetic and so enthusiastic and so – it almost looks like anger – he’s so motivated to remove your sufferings, it almost looks like anger where it manifests in the form of gnawing his lower lip with his top teeth. And his whiskers are on fire, he’s wearing the helmet of a grand old general with the five flags on top. Five colours representing the five elements and the five Buddhas and the five aggregates, transformed in to the energy of enlightenment. And he’s holding a jewel club, ready to strike down our inner enemies and our sufferings and our difficulties.

He’s not ready to strike down our enemies but our inner enemies. Alright. So he’s not someone who goes and clubs down people you don’t like, he don’t do things like that, and if we wish that, it’s not very good. And in his right hand is holding a lasol (cudgel) with a man bound and tied and that man bound and tied is someone that is us; suffering, wondering, have a monkey mind, difficulties, problems and we bind those problems, we bind that monkey mind, we bind that delusion, we bind that mind that has a huge attachment to dualism. Then that mind is bound and Setrap is holding that mind and he’s clubbing it. He’s clubbing it with a club of righteous view. He is clubbing it with the club of righteous view, righteous action, the four noble truths, the 12 interdependent links is manifested in that club. And when he clubs that delusion with the 12 independent links, with the 4 Noble truths, righteous view, righteous action, he destroys the defilements. And that is the inner meaning of how he’s very wrathful. Alright? And then, those delusions and the monkey mind manifests its ugliness by resulting or getting results of poverty, unhappiness, disharmony, separation, loneliness, sickness, disease – all that is manifested from delusions, which is selfish mind. So this person here he has bound, is symbolic of our self grasping, dualist mind, and it is bound. And hence, since this mind bound, the result of this mind which is loneliness, financial difficulties, problems, separation, fear, all that is also bound. So Setrap in that way finds it, by clubbing it with the club of Dharma. Why does it have a jewel? A jewel relieves us of poverty; inner, outer, spiritual, materialistic poverty – material poverty. So therefore, this jewel, when he clubs it, it’s symbolic that it will bring wealth. Why? When delusions are destroyed, we will gain spiritual wealth. Spiritual wealth leads to material wealth. Wealth, full stop. So it’s symbolically shown in that way. It’s very profound. And, the lasso that Setrap holds, is the lasso of ethics; the lasso of our vows and our commitments and our samaya. Our Samaya is what binds our monkey mind. Our Samaya and our vows is what binds and ties up, holds, our delusions and our illusions and our monkey mind. So the lasso is the manifestation of Setrap’s commitment and Samaya, which is giving us the message we should hold our commitments and samaya and our vows, because by holding those commitments and vows, or Samaya, whatever word we choose, we bind the monkey mind, we bind the delusion mind, we bind the mind that can create more sufferings. That’s why holding our vows is extremely important, extremely important.

And Setrap wears the clothes of an ancient Marshall, ancient General and that wearing of the clothes is a manifestation of Setrap’s enlightened mind. Why? A general’s, Marshall wear or his armour, the purpose of the armour is not to be able to be killed by arrows or weapons or stones; it is to protect the body. So when Setrap wears the armour, it is the manifestation that he has developed compassion, he has developed wisdom, he has eliminated all faults of the mind such as delusions; hence, when we are free of these negative states of mind, nothing can harm us, so it becomes as if it is armour. Example: When Lord Buddha became enlightened in the last watch of the night, when Mara was shooting arrows and flames and all kinds of weapons and rocks and molten and spears, when each Buddha was shot from Mara and his armour, it was weapons and lava and stones, but when it reached Buddha, it just melted in front of him and manifested into flowers. Why? Because Buddha doesn’t have any armour to be harmed any more. So literally you could throw a stone at Buddha and by the time it reaches the Buddha, it will become flowers, or a rainbow or a bird singing, whereas if the guy over there threw a rock at Tsem Rinpoche, and he threw one rock, by the time the rock came to me it would become a boulder; I’ll be crushed. Cos I have all this negative karma that can be harmed. So therefore, Setrap – a symbolic note – a manifestation of his mind and his body and his being not being able to be harmed, is the armour that he wears; impenetratable. And the way he sits on his horse is symbolic of quick action – why? Some deities sits on the horse with both legs facing you. That’s kind of slightly casual looking, it’s almost like a circus where they, you know, they sit on this side of the horse, that side of the horse and then they sit on the horse, or they stand on the horse. But Setrap is sitting on the horse with his leg left and right of the horse, right on the bridle – holding on. What is the symbolic of? Quick action. He’s ready to move. Cos when you sit on the horse that way, you’re not posing, you’re ready to go, you’re going at lightening speed. So that is symbolic of Setrap’s omniscient mind being able to travel very, very, very quickly. So therefore, those are some basic kind of explanations I am giving about Setrap, that’s a little deeper than the last time, because I think you are ready for more.

So you should visualise from Amitabha he dissolves into light and he dissolves into light because of his great compassion. This light turns into fire, from this fire appears the horse, appears Setrap in the whole symbology. And do not look at Setrap as flat, or like a 3-D picture of like statue; he should be alive, moving smiling, happy, very pleased to be there. And this visualisation of Setrap is the portal in which the actual Setrap comes through and blesses you. Alright? So the portal can be a thangka, it can be a statue, it can be a tsa-tsa, it can be a line drawing, it could be your visualisation. You see any of that becomes a portal, that portal we call Samaya being or Darmzeepa. Ok? Then, when we actually call Setrap, that is the wisdom being coming and that wisdom being we call Yishipa. So Yishipa Darmzeepa (29:30 Tibetan) that means the wisdom being, the real Setrap comes and enters the Samaya being of the birth or the visualisation we have and it blesses the visualisation. Why do we do that? When we visualise Setrap that is not Setrap. If we visualise Setrap and simply visualise that, something else might enter and we think it’s Setrap; it’s not. So to avoid that, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche says we have to invite the actual deity. How do we invite? We say “Setrap please come forth”. And then Setrap comes forth and the real Setrap comes, you just visualise the real Setrap coming, and he enters your visualisation, becomes one and it becomes even more brighter. Then you think Setrap is really there. Setrap is really there. And then you do the mantras and if there’s a special person that is sick, not well, or a special person that there light has been stolen, or their mind is not ok or they’re having black magic or they’re having sufferings, or a group of persons, you can visualise them in front of Setrap, and Setrap’s light coming down to them, and blessing them and removing their problems, removing their difficulties completely and they become very bright. They become very alive, they become very powerful.

They achieve happiness, long life, future good rebirth, practice, spiritual awakening, you visualise that. If it’s a group, same thing, you can visualise a group there. If it’s an institution, you can visualise an institution there. Example: in my mediations, I can visualise Ganden Monastery or I can visualise Kechara House. I can visualise a friend and Kechara House and Ganden and they can all fit right in front of Setrap – no problem. And we can visualise the institution and we visualise Setrap’s light coming down and blessing the institution and wealth comes, sponsorship comes, knowledgeable people come, growth and happiness and spiritual awakening. So we can visualise a building that represents the institutions, we can visualise the person that we’re concerned about, we can visualise a group, we can visualise animals. So if there are animals that we love and we all know you’re an animal lover, we can visualise all your dogs in front of Setrap, with the institution, with your family – everybody is there. And why you are reciting the mantra you request Setrap, from you heart, to bless these beings and then give them what they need. You visualise the lights coming down, encompassing these beings, surrounding these beings, purifying these beings and giving them whatever they need, so their life becomes long, their health becomes strong, wealth, obstacles removed, health and – most important – spiritual awakening. They gain Bodhicitta and realisation of the non dual mind or emptiness. Ok. Compassion. You think like that.

And at the same time you can visualise another light coming into you and doing that same thing. So it’s doing to the group, in front of you, in front of Setrap, is it doing to you. Otherwise it’s gonna be like ‘oh I do all that for them, now I do me, I don’t have time, the telephone rang, oh what about me – you can do it together. That means another light comes to you. Then when the light comes to you Datin, when the light comes to you, you don’t even have to visualise the group, sometimes you just do yourself. Sometimes it’s ok to be selfish. Forget the planet, I’m just gonna bless myself. It’s ok. So you visualise the lights coming to you and it enters the crown of your head and it enters your body and you visualise the light filling you up from the bottom of your toes, all the way up to your hips and to the tips of your fingers and to the top of your neck, the top of your head, and the lights are filled and listen to me carefully, from every single pore of your body, the light is overflowing and surrounds you and you are inside an egg of red light. And this egg is the manifestation of Setrap’s power. Nothing in this world can penetrate this. Why? Because it’s Amitabha. Nothing can penetrate Amitabha’s omniscience. Nothing can penetrate Amitabha/Setrap’s power, enlightenment and state of enlightenment. Ok. So you’re protected within this and you visualise all your sickness, all your unhappiness and all your worry, removed from your body. And you visualise Bodhicitta, you visualise happiness, you visualise long life, you visualise very wonderful happy mind, spiritual awakening coming forth and dissolving into you. You visualise that. And another thing you can visualise is all the Buddha’s teachings are condensed into the Lamrim and another book that’s very useful to you would be Wheel of Sharp Weapons. So you should visualise these two texts, coming from Setrap’s heart in the form of light ok.

They’re lights but they look like a book and you don’t have to visualise each page; just visualise the lamrim book and the wheel of sharp weapons coming forth and dissolves into you and millions of these books, millions and millions and billions of these books dissolving into you and the books dissolve into your body, fill you up and you gain the realisation and the understanding of Lamrim, the complete graded path to Buddha’s teachings by Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang and you also visualise the great Wheel of Sharp Weapons, the text, and you should get a copy of the text and read through it, it’s very, very powerful, and visualise it going to you and you gain the realisation. And by gaining the realisation of Lamrim and Wheel of Sharp Weapons, many of your sufferings go down, simply because you understand them better. So you visualise yourself, in this, you visualise those books going down to the people in front of you. So, in short, you can visualise the people in front of you, the group, the institution, and you, or just them or just you. Either way. What ever is needed on that day, what ever id needed on that week. Whatever is necessary. So, if one of the animals is not well – Buddha forbid – you can visualise that animal under Setrap’s protective light and then obstacles being removed and Setrap healing them. You can visualise that – it’s very powerful. And it’s very good to everyday blow mantras of Setrap onto the animals that you have, out of great love and pray in the future, they can be great practitioners, great teachers, great meditators and great beings that proliferate the true path; the path of cessation of suffering, the path of compassion. Ok. You can think like that. So during your mantra you can think about that and if you get a little tired, just relax, think about nothing. So you can do that in front of your little altar and then you can do that little visualisation on your altar. I know it’s gonna be a little hard because our mind jumps back and forth, but practice, try to get focus and try to get practice. It will benefit your mind tremendously.

And then when you finish your little meditation, it maybe take you 10 minutes/15 minutes/half an hour/1 hour – I don’t know – and them maybe you did 1000 or 2000 mantras, you can finish the rest on your chair watching TV. And then when you finish the mantra, when you finish, you do Yonten Shigyurma. Can you do in front of the TV? Yes. Just put your video on hold/ pause. Pause to the world and you do your dedication. And so what do you do? This last part is after Setrap has blessed the group and yourself and whatever, you visualise Setrap dissolving into light. Small – the size of your thumb. And all the universal masters and your teacher and Setrap are one. And all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Deities and Amitabha are Setrap. You don’t have to think they’re doing anything. You think they are Setrap. And then you ask Setrap to dissolve into you by folding your hands and then you visualise Setrap dissolve into your central channel, into the crown of your head and he goes into your body and he melts into your mind, melts into your heart and you and Setrap become one and for a few minutes you just think ‘May I never be separated from all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and deities and their manifestations. Think like that very strongly and think you are protected. And that will be very powerful for you. And then as I said, at the end of that you can do Yonten Shigyurma, or you can do King of Prayers, or if you can’t do either, you just think whatever’s in the King of Prayers, whatever’s in Yonten Shigyurma, may it be so. That would be an ok dedication; that is definitely permissible. So, therefore, when we do this, I’m trying to help you to reach all the Buddhas and the Dharma and the Sangha through Setrap’s practice. See usually we do that through a Yidam’s practice, such as Vajrayogini or Tara, but we can do it through a protector practice – Kensur Rinpoche told me in the past. Khensur Rinpoche’s a great master and a great lamrim master and great lineage master and great master of Ganden monastery, Khensur Jampa Yeshe. So, he told me, I asked him – if we do protector practice such as this can we gain attainments. He said, of you can. I said, why? He said, because it’s a Buddha. Then I said, why don’t we do it through him. He says because the protector’s practice is not laid out in a way such as a yiddam’s practice is laid out. So traditionally you are using a Yidam but it’s not improper for a protector practice to be done that way. So, I’m basing this visualisation and practice on what Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche had explained to me so kindly many years ago. Alright.

The visualisation I have made for you, to help you to focus. The visualisation is not in any text you can find; it is from me to you. If it has not benefit, which I am sure it will, it will have not harm. But I based that on what Khensur Rinpoche has explained to me that it is possible to gain attainments and spiritual benefits from a protector practice, in this case Lord Dharmapala Setrap, or in short, DS. Because when you write this in sms it’s quite long, so we just put DS. Dharmapala Setrap. Dharmapala means the holder of the Dharma. Setrap. Ok. And you can do that and anything else you want to do. You wanna make candle offerings, you wanna make incense – whatever you like. It’s up to you. You want to offer a vegetarian club sandwich to Setrap…fine. That’s up to you. Can you eat the food after you offer? Sure. Why? It’s blessed. It’s totally blessed. Now, since I mentioned it last time I recommended Setrap and we’ve been consistent on this – you’ve been consistent, I’ve been consistent in sharing with you to continue the practice. So therefore, this meditation was designed for you, and I had you in mind because you are doing so well with all of this and I’m very happy for you. So, I wanted to offer this to you as a gift and I wanted to give this to you as a celebration of your tenacity, loyalty, dedication and faith in such an enlightened protector from Ganden Shartse Monastery; Lord Setrap. And again, this lineage of Setrap came to me through my enlightened master Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche, who is without any fault and who is 82, a grand old monk of Ganden. So therefore, since he has given me Setrap, Setrap cannot be in anyway not beneficial and help us gain attainments or else great masters like that would use something else. Alright?

Now, it would be very good for us to have a Setrap altar, a Setrap image, Thangka, Statue, tsa-tsa, painting and if you already have one, which you do which is fine and to make offerings everyday of water and incense. And when you’re making these offerings think it’s to all the Buddhas, through Setrap, all the enlightened masters, all the enlightened beings through Setrap. That’s even more beneficial. And then, we can sit comfortably in front on a chair or we can sit away, no problem. Alright. We need to do it comfortable, because if our body’s comfortable, our mind will be comfortable and this little visualisation that I gave you and that I will share with other people, but let me repeat again, you are the inspiration, you are the reason that I came up with this and you are the reason I am speaking about this. And my motivation is that, through Setrap’s practice, your seeds of compassion will awaken even further, your seeds of wisdom will awaken even further, your wish to be of benefit to others will manifest even more and what ever is not awakened or not manifested or not present, then the seeds of bodhiccitta and compassion and the seeds of wisdom and the seeds of activities will be planted in your mind so it manifests in the future. That’s my motivation and that’s what we can do with Setrap’s practice that will be very, very beneficial for us modern people. How many mantras can we do a day? Up to you. How many black teas? Up to you. What kind of black teas? Up to you. What time of the day should se do this? Up to you. Why should we do this? Also up to you. And can we go wrong in doing this? Never. There can never be a wrong prayer or a wrong method to pray to Setrap. Whatever it is, because he’s a Buddha, it will be turned around into something positive. Alright?

So this is the main practice of Kechara House and this practice because I am from Ganden Shartse Monastery, is derived from Ganden Shartse Monastery, 600 years of historical practice of Setrap. And Ganden is the monastery of Lama Tsongkhapa and Lama Tsongkhapa being a fully enlightened Buddha and one of the, if not the most elite master in Tibet, if they are going to put this protector into Ganden Shartse Monastery, you can be sure he must be a pretty good candidate to be stuck there. Because I don’t think Lama Tsongkhapa’s monastery, Ganden, would have any Tom, Dick or Harry protector – if that’s the right way to put it. So you have to understand, the first Dalai Lama’s root guru, is Lama Tsongkhapa. So you can say the Dalai Lama’s such an illustrious being, who has emanated to benefit others – that’s not to mention Panchen Lama and Trijang Rinpoche and Zong Rinpoche and all theses, Pabongka Rinpoche and all these great Lamas, who in their previous incarnations were Lama Tsongkhapa’s direct students. They’re very illustrious and they’re still incarnating now. You know and benefitting others. So therefore if such a great being who produces such great students and such great institutions, so if this protector, and he is, is the protector, and he is, of such an institution of Ganden was started by the incomparable Lama Tsongkhapa, we can be sure that this protector is not any Tom, Dick or Harry, ineffective or kind of getting old and can’t do his job – I don’t think so. So therefore, we should feel very amazed, that in Lama Tsongkhapa’s own personal monastery which all the other Gelugpa Monasteries came from – Tashi Longpo, Sera, Dre-pung, Amdo Tashi and the other thousands and thousands of Gelupa monasteries or monasteries in Tibet or around the world came from Ganden, Ganden is the mother and the father because it’s Tsongkhapa’s home base and in this home base, is the protector Setrap and he was picked from everybody else, to guard Lama Tsongkhapa’s personal monastery, what do you think? Setrap must be exceptional. Alright?

So I want everybody to think about that and really be amazed and really be dumbfounded that we even have the fortune to even hear the name Setrap, and do the practice, and in a comfortable, modern, convenient setting. How fortunate am I to come across these teachings. How unfortunate for me would be to disregard these teachings, and go on my merry way creating negative karma and more suffering for myself and others. Yet how fortunate I am to realise and pull out of it to some degree and be of benefit to others. We should think like that very, very strongly. Ok.

I wish you well, I wish everybody well who hears this. I wish everybody to have the seeds of enlightenment, Buddha’s compassion, which is in us the seeds and wisdom and activities, to manifest and to open up and I wish you and everybody to realise the Lamrim and to act from it and to use our lives, not for ourselves, use our lives for others, I wish that for you and everyone who hears this and I pray from my heart sincerely, may the Dharmapala Setrap, DS, help you gain attainments, remove your obstacles and open up your compassion, wisdom mind, to become a fully enlightened Buddha. I wish you well and please continue your practice, please continue whatever you are doing, as comfortable as you can, as much or as best as you can, either way, doesn’t really matter, do it very sincerely.

May all beings who don’t have Dharma, receive the Dharma, May all beings who have the Dharma but misunderstand it, may I take on the responsibility to clear it, tirelessly, life after life; and may those whose Dharma has waned grow once more and flourish once more. And as long as space endures and even one sentient being remains in Samsara, may I also remain, until they are liberated, and may I be the direct and indirect cause for them to be completely liberated from Samsara.

Thank you, Datin, Thank you Datin Jennifer. I’m very happy to share this with you, I’m very happy to share this with everyone, and I’m very, very, very rejoiceful with what you have been doing and from time to time when you are free and comfortable, please go to KH and join in the Setrap puja with everybody else and enjoy the beauty, enjoy the love, enjoy the power, enjoy the energy, and share with each other Setrap’s incredible blessings. You don’t have to hobble on there everyday, maybe once a month, every two months – up to you, whenever you’re free. Go down there and join in and do the puja and if you’re unable to, you do the puja at home, you do whatever is comfortable for you. Alright? Make that connection.

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25 Responses to A Special Setrap Meditation

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Sew on Mar 18, 2013 at 2:54 pm

Dear Tsem Tulku Rinpoche,

Good afternoon.
My husband and I are recently started to learn Dharma from You via your blog and website. We are currently facing a lot of problem from our family and uncertainties from our career. We hope to refuge in Lord Setrap and ask for obstacles to be removed. Therefore, we started to practice the mandra of Lord Setrap. However, we worry we do wrong method and the end up with no result. Kindly allow me to list down our doubts here:-

1) Can we read mantra at any-where/time/position? Do we need to be sat on certain position?
2) By reading on the mandra “OM MAHA YAKCHA TSA SOHA” and visualize Lord Setrap wholeheartedly, is this the correct/complete way? will Lord Setrap answer my prayer if we practice this way? If not, can You lead us to the correct way? We wish to practice the mandra correctly.
3) Currently we are reading mandra anytime anywhere when we are allowed. For example while we driving and while we lying on bed before sleep. One day could be a few different sessions at different time. So in this case, do we need to keep repeating our prayers each time before we end the session? or we just need to say it once a day?
4) We read only mandra without the black tea pouring step, is it okay? Still our offering effective?

My husband and I truly wish to success in Dharma learning path together. Once again, thank Rinpoche for putting so much efforts to guide us always through internet.

Thank you for your enquiry on the practice of the powerful protector Lord Setrap, I am Seng Piow and I am His Eminence’s personal attendant, I will try my best to answer your questions.

Although there are no strict rules on where and what time and position you can recite Setrap’s mantra, it is still very much advisable that we sit properly in front of our altar and do our recitation, instead of other positions like lying on bed or slouching on sofa or while watching TV etc, it is not so much that Lord Setrap minds where or when we do our recitation, but it is more for ourselves, by sitting upright in front of our altar, we are able to concentrate and focus on our mantra recitation, thus receiving the maximum benefits from the recitation. Besides, it also trains us to always treat our Dharma practice with utmost respect and importance and not taking it lightly, therefore sitting upright is better than lying down or slouching. When we always hold holy beings and our Dharma practice with great respect, we will progress very fast in our spiritual practice.

Likewise, we should also try to avoid reciting mantras in places like for example toilet, although as a Buddha, Lord Setrap will not be offended, but it is out of respect that we avoid reciting holy mantras in certain unclean or improper places.

As a beginner, it may be difficult and confusing to recite the mantra and doing the visualization at the same time, so I would advise you to just focus single-pointedly on the mantra syllable while reciting, meaning when your mouth recites OM, your mind thinks of OM, when you move to MAHA, your mind also thinks of MAHA, and so on, wild and distracting thoughts may arise during your recitation making your lose focus, but just ignore those thoughts and bring your mind back gently to the syllables you are reciting at that moment, this is a good training to train our mind to be more focus and less jumpy/uncontrolled.

As I mentioned above, you can definitely recite your mantra anywhere anytime as long as it is done in a respectful time, place and position, but for your proper mantra count and mentioning of your prayer, you should try your best to do it properly in front of your altar, cut off all distractions, and focus and do that session well, in that case your will reap maximum benefits from your prayer and mantra recitation.

Although not strictly a must, it is best if you can include a black tea offering once a day during your “altar time”, meaning the time where you put down all daily chores and sit and focus in front of your altar, then you start your prayer and mantra recitation, then you finish off your daily session with black tea offering and dedication, in this way, your practice will be very productive and you will see results sooner.

Once again I welcome you and your husband to His Eminence’s blog, and please visit daily and search through the older posts, as there are many many hidden Dharma treasures in this blog. If you stay nearby. I would strongly recommend you to attend the weekly Setrap puja at Kechara House, every Monday 8pm-10pm, for beginners it is very effective to join group puja to guide our practice, hope to see you and your husband there!

Thank you Rinpoche for the kind and eye opening instructions! Anyway, I think there is an errata in the transcript. I think it should read Buddha does not have the karma to be harmed, not Buddha does not have any armor to be harmed. Thanks and with metta.

Datin Janiffer is very inspiring. She is humble, loving and she will just learn and do what she needs to do without any excuse or complains.
Thanks Datin also that we managed to get this wonderful and in-depth teaching of Dharmapala Setrap from Rinpoche. Thank you Rinpoche for giving us the 2nd level of Setrap Meditation.
Dharmapala Setrap has been very supportive to me on my spiritual journey. He helps to clear a lot of obstacles for me in my life so that i can have chance to learn and practice Dharma. He also helps me to see things clearer. Thank you so much

Datin Jennifer has always been a kind, fun and very smart lady to be with. Despite her loveable personality, her devotion to the protector is unshakable. Through her practice, she shown us that by committing to the three jewels will bring benefit to us because we have committed many negative karma and have many obstacles. The role of the protector is to help to clear our obstacles and hold our negative karma so that we can continue doing our dharma work to gain merits to counter our negative karma that we committed life after life. A lot of people said that I have been doing my prayers for so long, why is it that I still have a lot of obstacles… One of the reason is that protector is helping us to purify our negative karma so we can gain merits from our dharma work, and strive to achieve attainments and eventually enlightenment.

Datin Jennifer here has demonstrated that age is not a problem, just take a look at her, committed to her prayers, dharma work, healthy and such a wonderful being. Compare to the other around her age who do not do much and waste their precious time away. Wouldn’t we want to be like Datin Jennifer? And one more thing, she COOKS REALLY WELL!!!

It’s wonderful that she does 100 malas of Setrap mantra daily,she is so sincere on her daily Sadhana,thank you Rinpoche for sharing this to encourage us to do more mantra so that we always make a strong connect with Buddhas.

I don’t really use the word wonderful much but Datin Jennifer is just that.She’s a very humble and gentle person.She always have a smile on her face and do not look down on anybody.The world has to learn from her.Let’s all just get a little more wonderful…..

Many people do not know about Datin Jennifer. She’s not an active lady in the Kechara temple, but she’s very active behind the scenes. She has completed 1,000,000 Setrap mantras and from what I hear, she has taken on more practices, due to Rinpoche’s kindness.

Datin Jennifer supports her daughter who has decided to do Dharma work full-time since she was 26. She also comes to the Rinpoche’s abode twice a week to cook for Rinpoche and the household staff, and to help in any way that she can.

After living her life, at the age 60, she truly believes that doing Dharma work is the best thing one can do in their life.

She said that if she had known better, she would have chosen the life her daughter is living now. This should inspire those who are young and are considering taking the spiritual and career step into the Dharma, and it should inspire those who have children considering doing Dharma work.

It’s interesting revisiting this post now 2 years later. A lot sure has changed since then. From this first initial connection with Setrap practice and meditation, my mother has also gone on to complete 100,000 Migtsemas and is currently focusing on Manjushri, aiming to complete 1 million Manjushri mantras (both Migtsema and Manjushri were by Rinpoche’s guidance and advice).

Interestingly enough, my mother had her own practices before and Rinpoche has never discouraged her from doing what she was doing. She still continues some of her practices before but has ADDED in the additional practices so kindly given by Rinpoche. It all started off with her just seeing a Setrap statue.

It’s something tremendous to be grateful for, to be able to do Dharma practice together with my mother, so that she becomes more like a spiritual sister and friend to me, than just my mother. Thank you Rinpoche for every last ounce of care you’ve given not just to me, but also to my family so that they too can be safe and protected by Dharma.

Datin Jennifer is a kind, loving and gentle lady. Am very happy that she love Setrap so much and doing it on her own initiative with love. There is no wrong way because the pure motivation of the practitioner is to seek refuge in Setrap, the Greatest Protector! I am very happy that a few of us did a Setrap retreat last year with the Blessings of RInpoche and I’ve seen myself transform into a better person and more stable. I remember waking up 1 night and sitting on the bed chanting Kawang during the retreat. It was so funny. Thank you for the wonderful teaching and sharing Rinpoche.

So fortunate to have met Lord Setrap, practice his practice with the blessing and kindness of H.E.Tsem Rinpoche, my Guru who bought Lord Setrap to Malaysia when he came here from India.

Lord Setrap is the protector you can rely on, because he is an enlightened being; he is the wrathful emanation of Amithaba Buddha; he is the Protector of Dharma of Gaden Shartse Monastery, and well known for its powers to pacify all Obstacles, demons, spirits and black magic.

Rinpoche had been very kind to share this teaching with us and all who seeks Setrap’s blessings should listen Rinpoche’s comprehensive teaching on this practice. I have listen to this at least three times and with each time, I remember a little better….kinda a reinforcement of my imprint. Thanks also to Datin Jennifer for this opportunity to receive this teaching from Rinpoche’s.

Rinpoche, I am still so very grateful to Rinpoche for giving this special teaching to my mother. From the day she received these teachings, she listened to the CD about 3 times and took extensive notes by hand (she doesn’t really use computers). She even called and asked some questions she had to clarify because she was so very eager to start.
My mother is a shining example of how Setrap can enter someone’s life and bring just such tremendous blessings and transformation. From being quite unsure about tibetan buddhism or “institutionalise religious” practices my mother is now doing Setrap practice EVERY SINGLE DAY.
A little nice update to share: Just a week ago (which means about 5 – 6 weeks since receiving this teachin), my mother informed me that she has completed yet another 500,000 Setrap mantras. She diligently recites 100 malas a day!!!! including the meditation, visualisation and prayers that Rinpoche has recommended to her.
Now, she’s also been joining in the Setrap retreat that is currently going on in Kechara House. Yay Setrap! It is such a relief and such happiness for me to know that my mother is safe under the protection of Setrap. It is very assuring to know that she is engaging in a practice that is 100% safe, as has been practised by thousands of monks for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Thank you again Rinpoche for keeping us all safe under the protection of the three jewels.
with folded hands, Paris

Dear Paris, your mummy must have made strong aspirational prayers in her previous lives to be able to meet with a perfect teacher and pure teachings. Lord Setrap is the Protector of Gaden Shartse and if it is good enough for the thousands of monks for afew hundred years, it is more than good for us! Also, due to the merits you have dedicated to your parents through your dharma work, your mummy also has the merits to not only hear and learn something so sacred but have the faith as well.

First of all, thank you Rinpoche for sharing the mantra of Setrap Chen with us because WE need it. I realize that such teachings are extremely precious and are normally not given to students until they show consistent and sincere dedication to the Guru and Dharma. I am grateful to Rinpoche for sharing generously the teachings that took Rinpoche years of hard work and devotion to receive with your undeserving students.
The Dharma Protectors are Buddhas or attained beings who pledge themselves to the spread of the Dharma. In general, their role is to remove obstacles that hinder the progress and practice of sincere Dharma students.
In a society where deity worship is common, it is very important to understand the difference between worldly deities and enlightened Dharma Protectors. The major difference is worldly deities’ powers are limited to external factors only (increasing material wealth). They cannot contribute to spiritual growth. In certain conditions, these worldly deities can actually hinder spiritual growth and cause long-term problems by creating greater attachment to material object, which contributes to an increased self-grasping mind.
* The creation of Dharma Protectors! When Padmasambhava first arrived in India to spread the Dharma, the worship of local spirits was very prevalent. As the local spirits feared loosing control and power to Dharma, they created a lot of obstacles for practitioners to attend any of Padmasambhava’s teachings. Instead of fighting these spirits, Padmasambhava‘s decided to tame them by teaching them the Dharma and made them Dharma Protectors.

Thanks Tsem Tulku Rinpoche!! I surely will 🙂 Hope one day can meet you personally, I will continue to pray, do good to accumulate as much good karma as possible and HOPE to have you as my great teacher =) with folded hands, and sincere prayers.

Dear Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, I has always been eager to learn more Dharma from You since last year. But it might due to insufficient good karma, things have prevent me from approaching you nearer. I sincerely pray that one day I can accumulate enough good karma and meet you personally and to receive more teachings from you. Thanks for sharing all your teachings and thoughts via the blog it always lighten my day 🙂

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Saturday, May 25. 2019 11:30 AM

Methar of Tengyeling Monastery

A gruelsome read of the cruelty that exist within the holiest office in Tibet. Ministers of the Dalai Lama are very much into the power and money game, without any other authority to stop their heinous actions. A sad fact of the power wielded by the office of the Dalai Lama.

An amazing lady who expertly cuts into paper to form collages of picture to tell stories of life. As a treasure of China, she left her legacy with her disciples to continue the art of paper cutting into new generations to come.

The Trode Khangsar is an important chapel dedicated to Dorje Shugden in Lhasa, Tibet. It was built by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama towards the end of the 17th Century. Dorje Shugden is an uncommon Dharma protector within Tibetan Buddhism, who is said to protect the Buddhist teachings in general and Nagarjuna’s Madhyamika (Middle Way) Philosophy as taught by Lama Tsongkhapa specifically. Lama Tsongkhapa was the founder of the great Gelug lineage. Dorje Shugden, in his previous incarnation as Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, was a great scholar, meditator, teacher and contemporary of His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama. After being murdered, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen arose as Dorje Shugden in order to benefit countless sentient beings.

Tibetan ‘government-in-exile’ known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was called to session and Tenpa Yarphel, a notable Member of the Tibetan Parliament (MP) spoke up about the need for Tibetans to be united. Specifically, Tenpa Yarphel bravely addressed a very thorny issue that most Tibetan policy makers have sidestepped for over 20 years, and that is the Dorje Shugden unethical ban that, by now, everyone knows has been very damaging to the fragile Tibetan unity. It is really refreshing to see a Tibetan MP speaking confidently about the realities faced by the Tibetans in exile, with the intention of moving forward to a better future instead of being stuck in myriad divisive policies that have really harmed the Tibetan polity and harmony.

Tenpa Yarphel is one of the heroes that will bring a different for Tibetan. More Tibetan like Tenpa Yarphel should participate and speak up. Tibetan need a change in their government and no longer to follow the old way as it’s proven it doesn’t work.

“I suppose now what I’m interested in is Nirvana, the Buddhist heaven. I don’t know much about it, or really understand it enough to explain it. George knows more.

Studying religion has made me try to improve relationships, not to be unpleasant. It’s not a conscious move to change my personality. Perhaps it is. I don’t know. I’m just trying to be how I want to be, and how I’d like others to be.

Drugs probably helped the understanding of myself better, but not much. Not pot. That just used to be a harmless giggle.”

The power of enlightened Dharma protectors comes from their enlightened nature, which is compassionate and wisdom-filled. On the deepest level, they represent our blissful awareness of emptiness in strong energetic forms – the best protection against obstacles. The Dharma protectors protect sincere spiritual practitioners who seek their higher selves, see the downfalls of materialism and other problems created by the human mind.

I personally have experienced the powers of Dorje Shugden much to my amazement for each request I make even of the minute ask is fulfilled sometimes immediately within the day of asking or several days to weeks depending on my extend of my life request.

His compassionate nature and swift powers are to be witnessed only by those who are willing to give the divine being a chance for him to connect with you and render help. Ask DS and you shall receive. I have!

If one single person can make such an immense positive contribution,imagine how the world could change for the better if only its population derives inspiration from this one man’s effort regardless of race, colour, creed, or belief.

Greed destroys, selflessness sustains both our existence and other living existence on this planet.

Ku Shulan is a inspiring women as i know and i realized this after reading this article. She doesn’t have a good marriage life but she has a very good talent in paper cutting. Even though she doesn’t have a good backbone, she still cuts vegetables for her family.

She is very creative and her creativity is known worldwide but her life didn’t change by that. She didn’t waste her life by worrying about her family situation but she get up by using her creativity. Thank you.

This story is very inspiring. By reading this article, i can understand that nothing is impossible in this universe. Youngsters should take this man as a role model not only for planting trees but for the confidence in him. Not only confidence, but even loaded of courage in him.

Plants are very important nowadays as we, humans, require oxygen to live. The confidence level in the man has influenced him to change the barren land to a place filled with thousand of various plants. Youngsters can take this inspiring story as their guidance for them to improve their live from nothing to become a topper.

Watch enlightening documentaries online! Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking – The Story Of Everything (2010) In two mind-blowing hours, Hawking reveals the wonders of the cosmos to a new generation. Delve into the mind of the worlds most famous living scientist and reveal the splendor and majesty of the universe as never seen before.

If you have listened to Tsem Rinpoche’s teachings or had the good fortune to meet him personally, you know that he has an irrepressible sense of humour. Rinpoche has a way of making people relax and have a really good laugh.

To do that, he uses his keen sense of observation and incredibly quick mind – nothing escapes his eyes. Some of the funniest moments are when Rinpoche mimics a student’s mannerisms or improvises scenarios that relate to the student’s expressions or reactions towards unpleasant situations or people. They are always spot on and pose a real danger of giving the audience belly-aching laughter.

Can you plant an entire forest by yourself? The answer is, yes! The fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, Padma Shri awardee Jadav “Molai” Payeng single-handedly transformed the barren land of Majuli in Assam into a dense forest by planting a sapling a day since 40 years ago. He started his mission to revive the once barren, sandy river banks of Majuli when he was 16 years old after a startling discovery. Numerous snakes were found dead on the sandy banks of Brahmaputra River after a life-threatening flood. The snakes died from heat due to the lack of shades.

Messages from Rinpoche

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I must thank my dharma blog team who are great assets to me, Kechara and growth of dharma in this wonderful region. I am honoured and thrilled to work with them. I really am. Maybe I don't say it enough to them, but I am saying it now. I APPRECIATE THESE GUYS VERY MUCH!

Kyabje Zong Rinpoche Videos

Hear the holy voice of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche giving advice on the practice of Dorje Shugden to those who had received the life-entrustment initiation. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche wanted to make sure those present received the maximum benefits from their practice, and that they kept their practice well.LEARN MORE >>

In Tibetan Buddhism, it is always said that whatever we practice must come from an enlightened source to be beneficial in our spiritual journey. As such in this video, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche shares with us the history and reincarnation lineage of Dorje Shugden to explain how great this Dharma protector is through the examples of his previous lives, showing us his powerful spiritual attainments.LEARN MORE >>

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Dear everyone... This is a good condensed talk I gave on Guru Yoga of Tsongkapa. This is the one you should share with others when they are interested in a not too lengthy explanation. It is the perfect practice for everyone who wants simplicity yet effective blessings. You can share this with more people, it will be good.

External Articles

ANIMAL QUOTES

"If you say you don't have money to help a animal shelter, why then do you have money to buy meat?"

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind to them is."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"What makes us good humans is not how we abuse animals, but how much we allow them to live and be happy freely."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"We need another and wiser and perhaps a more mythical concept of animals.... We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complex than ours they moved finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth."

~ Henry Beston, The Outermost House

"Not eating animals is only unnatural when we are not used to it."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES

"We may encounter defeat, but we must not be defeated."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"What you are today, is the choice you made yesterday."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"You think you can choose your life? What an ego trip!"

~ Lama Yeshe

"If TODAY you are dissatisfied, you must make the changes to create different results for TOMORROW."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

SPIRITUAL QUOTES

“Meditating on Dorje Shugden while reciting his mantra will open the gateways to higher dimensions, blessings and protection.”

~ Tsem Rinpoche

“If one does the recitation of the Lama Tsongkhapa guru yoga prayer for even one month using one of the visualizations for great or clear or quick wisdom, one will definitely see development of that wisdom. It is proved by experience. There is no doubt that by doing the Lama Tsongkhapa guru yoga practice one can meet Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings from life to life. And furthermore, it gives one the opportunity to be born in the pure realm of Lama Tsongkhapa, Tushita, whenever death happens.”

~ Pabongkha Rinpoche

"I was 18 years old in 1983. That was a very special year as I met His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and received innumerable precious teachings and empowerments from Him at Thubten Dhargye Ling Centre in Los Angeles, California. It was the best time of my life. A time that seems so magical and surreal to me. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is Heruka Buddha and I met Heruka."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"If being me offends you, maybe I'm not the problem."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Never abandon your spiritual teacher no matter how many inner obstacles you need to overcome."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Actions to force something to be permanent makes all the karmas arise."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"The dharma is not easy to listen to… because some people take it as criticism. But Dharma should not be just feel good only for the moment but for deeper contemplations."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Whether we do work and suffer but for others or we do work and suffer for ourselves, either way we have to suffer. That is the nature of samsara. So let us suffer for others and then suffering has meaning."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Those who really want the dharma to grow within themselves and to grow for others should never fear hard work, timing, difficulties, struggles, disappointments because it is for a good cause. Working for Dharma is not a prison or work, but it is purely spiritual practice. It is purely collection of merit and purification. Actually not doing dharma work is the real prison."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"His Holiness Zong Rinpoche stressed the need to continue to practice even when we come up against obstacles, and that we should continually review our progress. He stated that a happy, luxurious life was like a good dream, and that obstacles and difficulties were like a bad dream. We should give them no significance, but simply carry on working towards real, everlasting happiness."

LIFE QUOTES

"I pity men who occupy themselves exclusively with the transitory in things and lose themselves in the study of what is perishable, since we are here for this very end-that we may make the perishable imperishable, which we can do only after we have learned how to approach both."

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Money amplifies negative characteristics and that can cause problems.
To walk away from that was actually very easy. I didn't even consider it."

~ Angeline Francis Khoo

"I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud."

~ Carl Jung

"There is a devil there is no doubt, but is he trying to get into us or trying to get out?"

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"If you love someone, show it by being honest, respectful & honorable with them."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

~ Henry David Thoreau

"If I can just be the way I am & you the way you are & we accept each other, world peace is near."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"I am Asian, you are some other beautiful color. Together we make diversity so beautiful."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"It's amazing how some people have never met me or know who I am, but based on a few things they read here & there & rumours, they have formulated a new personality for me & all the things I've never done they passionately speak about....I find it funny and entertaining now. I guess we can't spend our lives fighting rumours...we just have to work hard & then rumours get proven wrong on it's own as a by product. No point explaining repeatedly. Just do our work & show results!!"

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"There's a difference between patience and laziness. Patience comes from respect while laziness from disrespect of others."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Although outwardly we have so much, we have so many conveniences, inwardly we have become more unhappy, so, acquisition is not the secret to happiness. The more we get, the more we have, the more unhappy we become."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Before we experience any pain, we already had a fixed view of how things should be. When the experience we encounter contradicts our views, then the pain arises. The pain arises due to our fixed views not so much the experience itself. So the secret is changing the views. Re-educating ourselves on our views."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"You know since very young, for better or worse, I always did the things that others told me not to do. I wasn't really good at following the rules. Even now with how I share Dharma and my practice, I just do it the way I think it should be done but I do it sincerely. Not what others tell me what I can and can't do."

~ Tsem Rinpoche

"Love me or hate me, both are in my favor... If you love me, I'll always be in your heart... If you hate me, I'll always be in your mind."

~ William Shakespeare

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest."

~ Maya Angelou

Devotional Songs

Sung by Mary Fewel Tulin, these mystical songs in praise of the guru originate from the Sikh tradition. Yet, they are applicable to all traditions for those who want to venerate their guru.

The Unknown

The Known and unknown are both feared,
Known is being comfortable and stagnant,
The unknown may be growth and opportunities,
One shall never know if one fears the unknown more than the known.
Who says the unknown would be worse than the known?
But then again, the unknown is sometimes worse than the known. In the end nothing is known unless we endeavour,
So go pursue all the way with the unknown,
because all unknown with familiarity becomes the known.
~Tsem Rinpoche

Photos On The Go

Click on the images to view the bigger version. And scroll down and click on "View All Photos" to view more images.

2 days ago

My Dharma boy (left) and Oser girl loves to laze around on the veranda in the mornings. They enjoy all the trees, grass and relaxing under the hot sun. Sunbathing is a favorite daily activity. I care about these two doggies of mine very much and I enjoy seeing them happy. They are with me always. Tsem Rinpoche
Always be kind to animals and eat vegetarian- https://bit.ly/2Psp8h2

4 days ago

After you left me Mumu, I was alone. I have no family or kin. You were my family. I can't stop thinking of you and I can't forget you. My bond and connection with you is so strong. I wish you were by my side. Tsem Rinpoche

6 days ago

This story is a life-changer. Learn about the incredible Forest Man of India | 印度“森林之子”- https://bit.ly/2Eh4vRS

1 week ago

Part 2-Beautiful billboard in Malaysia of a powerful Tibetan hero whose life serves as a great inspiration- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4

1 week ago

Part 1-Beautiful billboard in Malaysia of a powerful Tibetan hero whose life serves as a great inspiration- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4

1 week ago

The great Protector Manjushri Dorje Shugden depicted in the beautiful Mongolian style. To download a high resolution file: https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz

2 weeks ago

The Mystical land of Shambhala is finally ready for everyone to feast their eyes and be blessed. A beautiful post with information, art work, history, spirituality and a beautiful book composed by His Holiness the 6th Panchen Rinpoche. ~ https://bit.ly/309MHBi

Mongolian (Oymiakon) Shaman in Siberia, Russia. That is his real outfit he wears. Very unique. TR

3 weeks ago

Find one of the most beautiful temples in the world in Nara, Japan. It is the 1,267 year old Todai-ji temple that houses a 15 meter Buddha Vairocana statue who is a cosmic and timeless Buddha. Emperor Shomu who sponsored this beautiful temple eventually abdicated and ordained as a Buddhist monk. Very interesting history and story. One of the places everyone should visit- https://bit.ly/2VgsHhK

Silver Manjusri figure from Ngemplak Semongan (Indonesia). Apparently during the Shailendra Dynasty, Mahayana Buddhism was very strong in Indonesia. This Dynasty promoted Mahayana Buddhism and Manjushri was a principal Buddha of worship.

There is an area near Lumbini, Nepal, they have sightings of Yeti for hundreds of years. So they have signages in the area with Yeti artwork to highlight this. Interesting. TR

3 weeks ago

Photos of footprints (Yeti) are from a high altitude pass (Darwa Pass) connecting Gangotri valley to Yamunotri valley through old pilgrim route.

3 weeks ago

Beautiful picture. Rare. Three holy beings.

3 weeks ago

May 1, 2019-I really enjoy this picture of these visitors visiting Dorje Shugden's grotto in Kechara Forest Retreat today. They look happy, light and blessed after doing their prayers to Dorje Shugden. I wanted to share this picture.- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4

4 weeks ago

A postcard of my great grand aunt Princess Nirgidma of Torghut-Tsem Rinpoche

This poor boy is being forced to leave his friend to be sold for slaughter. Children have a natural connection with animals, and they know it is wrong to hurt and kill them. Children lose this connection by being indoctrinated (brainwashed) by their parents/peers into believing animals are here to be exploited, killed, and eaten.- from Lucinda Smyth FB page

1 month ago

Some people really struggle and put in so much effort in their lives. Amazing. Tsem Rinpoche

1 month ago

18th Century Mongolian made Namgyalma statue. Very artistic. Very beautiful. Usually her arms are 'all over the place' but this one is so artistically placed and poised. Tsem Rinpoche

1 month ago

My mother Ms. Dewa Nimbo came out with a new book. I am happy for her. Tsem Rinpoche

Videos On The Go

Please click on the images to watch video

4 weeks ago

Our Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir speaks so well, logically and regarding our country’s collaboration with China for growth. It is refreshing to listen to Dr. Mahathir’s thoughts. He said our country can look to China for many more things such as technology and so on. Tsem Rinpoche

4 weeks ago

This is the first time His Holiness Dalai Lama mentions he had some very serious illness. Very worrying. This video is captured April 2019.

These people going on pilgrimage to a holy mountain and prostrating out of devotion and for pilgrimage in Tibet. Such determination for spiritual practice. Tsem Rinpoche

2 months ago

Beautiful new casing in Kechara for Vajra Yogini. Tsem Rinpoche

2 months ago

Get ready to laugh real hard. This is Kechara’s version of “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane!” We have some real talents in this video clip.

2 months ago

Recitation of Dorje Dermo‘s mantra or the Dharani of Glorious Vajra Claws. This powerful mantra is meant to destroy all obstacles that come in our way. Beneficial to play this mantra in our environments.

We were told by Uncle Wong he is very faithful toward Dorje Shugden. Dorje Shugden has extended help to him on several occasions and now Uncle Wong comes daily to make incense offerings to Dorje Shugden. He is grateful towards the help he was given.

Trijang Rinpoche never gave up his devotion to Dorje Shugden no matter how much Tibetan government in exile pressured him to give up. He stayed loyal inspiring so many of us.

5 months ago

Very rare video of His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche the 10th, the all knowing and compassionate one. I pay deep respects to this attained being who has taken many rebirths since the time of Lord Buddha to be of benefit to sentient beings tirelessly. Tsem Rinpoche

5 months ago

This bigfoot researcher gives good reasonings on bigfoot. Interesting short video.

5 months ago

His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche of Gaden Shartse Monastery was one of the teachers of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Here in this beautiful video is Geshe Kelsang Gyatso showing his centre to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, then proceeding to sit down to receive teachings. For more information- https://bit.ly/2QNac1u

6 months ago

Tsem Rinpoche’s dog, Oser girl always sits on Rinpoche’s chair. When Rinpoche’s other dog, Dharma tries to get into the chair, he is chased away. Oser is the boss. She is possessive. Cute.

6 months ago

Lama Yeshe talks about how to practice at the beginning and at the end of each day during teachings given in London during the Lamas’ first European teaching tour in 1975. Lama Yeshe was a brilliant teacher and I wanted to share this with everyone so his teachings can reach more people. Tsem Rinpoche

6 months ago

Our beautiful Dorje Shugden shop in the busiest part of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Many tourists visit our store and this area.

6 months ago

Living off the grid in Australia

A Jill Redwood is a jack of all trades, Jill built her own house on her property and lives entirely off the grid with no mains power or town water, mobile reception or television. Living on around $80 a week, Jill has over sixty animals to keep her company and an abundant garden that out serves as an organic supermarket right at her doorstep. Her main expenses are animal feed and the rates on her property. Watch this incredible three minute video and be inspired to live differently.

6 months ago

Kyabje Dagom Choktrul Rinpoche offering gold on a 350 year-old Dorje Shugden statue in his chapel in Lhasa. This is how Tibetans show homage and pay respect to a holy image. This chapel and statue of Dorje Shugden in Lhasa dedicated to Dorje Shugden was built by the Great 5th Dalai Lama. Tsem Rinpoche

This video is thought-provoking and very interesting. Watch! Thanks so much to our friends at LIVEKINDLY.

2 yearss ago

Chiropractic CHANGES LIFE for teenager with acute PAIN & DEAD LEG.

2 yearss ago

BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN NEW YORK STATE-AMAZING.

2 yearss ago

Leonardo DiCaprio takes on the meat Industry with real action.

2 yearss ago

Do psychic mediums have messages from beyond?

2 yearss ago

Lovely gift for my 52nd Birthday. Tsem Rinpoche

2 yearss ago

This 59-year-old chimpanzee was refusing food and ready to die until...

she received “one last visit from an old friend” 💔💔

2 yearss ago

Bigfoot sighted again and made it to the news.

2 yearss ago

Casper is such a cute and adorable. I like him.

2 yearss ago

Dorje Shugden Monastery Amarbayasgalant Mongolia's Ancient Hidden Gem

2 yearss ago

Don't you love Hamburgers? See how 'delicious' it is here!

2 yearss ago

Such a beautiful and powerful message from a person who knows the meaning of life. Tsem Rinpoche

2 yearss ago

What the meat industry figured out is that you don't need healthy animals to make a profit.

Sick animals are more profitable... farms calculate how close to death they can keep animals without killing them.
That's the business model.
How quickly they can be made to grow, how tightly they can be packed, how much or how little can they eat, how sick they can get without dying...
We live in a world in which it's conventional to treat an animal like a block of wood.
~ Jonathan Safran Foer

2 yearss ago

This video went viral and it's a must watch!!

2 yearss ago

SEE HOW THIS ANIMAL SERIAL KILLER HAS NO ISSUE BLUDGEONING THIS DEFENSELESS BEING.

This happens daily in slaughterhouse so you can get your pork and Bak ku teh. Stop eating meat.

ASK A PASTOR

A section for you to clarify your Dharma questions with Kechara’s esteemed pastors.

Just post your name and your question below and one of our pastors will provide you with an answer.

Scroll down and click on "View All Questions" to view archived questions.

pastor answered:Dear Ernest，
The five precepts are the five basic Buddhist code of ethics:
1. to refrain from killing or taking life
2. to refrain from stealing or taking what is not given
3. to refrain from sexual miscondut
4. to refrain from lying or false speech
5. to refrain from intoxicants that clouds the mind.
If we break any of the vow, what we can do is we apply the Four opponent powers which is we regret it (Power of Regret), we rely on the Three Jewel (Power of Reliance), we apply the remedy (Power of Remedy) such as recitation of Sutras or Mantras, purification practices like Vajrasattva practice, 35 Confessional Buddhas etc, and we promise not to do it again (Power of Restraint). Then we can retake the Five Precepts again.
Regarding sexual misconduct, the key concept is not to hurt anyone just to satisfy your own sensual pleasure. For example, if you are married yet you have an external affair, it's considered sexual misconduct. If you are forcing someone to have sex with you, it's sexual misconduct etc. Sexual relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend or those who love each other is not a sexual misconduct.
Recommended reading: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/vows-the-roots-of-all-attainments.html

pastor answered:Dear John,
Dear
I am not sure about the practice you mentioned. However I did read about a negative karma cleansing mantra "OM HANU PAHASHA BHARA HE YE SOHA". It is said that just by seeing the mantra in Tibetan, one can purify 100,000 eons of negative karma.
Here is the Tibetan mantra:
༄༄།།ཨོཾཧནུཔཧཤབྷརཧེཡེསྭཱཧཱ།།

pastor answered:Dear Dewa Zangpo,
For laymen, sexual misconduct or “wrong sensual indulgence” is karmically harmful behavior which also means engaging in sexual activities that might be harmful to others or ourselves. Therefore, to abstain from sexual misconduct means to not have sex with a non-consenting individual (as in rape, coercion, or fraud) or consensual sex with anyone under protection. This means any dependent supported by parents, guardians, the community, state, or a spouse or fiancee.
“Sexual misconduct” is actually a broad term, and it's subject to culture and customs, therefore I shall say the basis is not to cause harm, hurtful feelings to anyone when engaging in the said activities.
Recommended reading: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/external-article/what-is-sexual-misconduct

pastor answered:Dear Parth,
Thanks for the question. In order to engage in any tantric practice, we must first receive initiation from our guru as the permission to start the practice. Our guru will decide if we are eligible to receive the tantric initiation based on his observation on us because the success of a tantric practice is not so much depending on a guru but more on the correct mental attitude of a student.
Just like what Lama Yeshe explained in one of his book: "“Initiation does not mean that a guru gives you some incredible power. You already have the qualities of profound wisdom and great bliss within you; initiation simply activates them." Our guru will decide if we are ready for the activation to take place. Therefore if we engage in any tantric activity without the permission of a guru, we are doing it prematurely. Not only will it not bring us any benefit, but it will create obstacle for us in the future too. Of course, the magnitude of the karma is also affected by our motivation ie if we did it unknowingly or intentionally.
To purify the karma, we can engage in the powerful Vajrasattva practice. It is said by Vajrasattva practice and it's meditation together with four opponent powers, we can purify even root downfalls of the tantric vows, which is very difficult to purify. If we can purify the root downfalls of the tantric vows, definitely the lower vows such as the ten non-virtuous acts that we should avoid, will be purified too.
You can read more about Vajrasattva practice here:
An important purification practice
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/an-important-purification-practice.html

pastor answered:Dear Jordano,
Thank you for visiting tsemrinpoche.com. I hope you enjoy reading the articles on this blog and benefited from the teachings here. Ask A Pastor section is a platform for us to discuss and share Dharma knowledge, you are welcome to post dharma related questions here, and our pastors will try their best to give you an answer, however we apologize that we don't provide any translation service here. Perhaps you can get the relevant service from other Tibetan language websites. Thank you.

pastor answered:Dear Javinder Singh,
Thank you for being not sectarian, this is a correct and beautiful attitude that everyone should embrace especially those who claim to be spiritual. Our planet earth would be a more peaceful place to live in if there are no inter-religious conflicts. I agree with you that Buddhism is direct and offer explanations, that's also the main reason I end up becoming a Buddhist after years of being sceptical about religions. Regarding brahmacharya, if I understand correctly, it's to refrain ourselves from indulging in sexual activities. I believe it's not easy to be accepted by the majority however I think the key is we ourselves practice the real dharma and set a good example, then our words will bear more weight in the future if our ultimate aim is to benefit others.
I believe you will like this article: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/dharma-is-for-everyone.html

pastor answered:Dear CY Wong,
Buddhas always manifest in different forms to help sentient beings with different needs. Dorje Shugden is the wrathful emanation of Buddha Manjushri. As an enlightened protector, Dorje Shugden too exhibits the same qualities as buddhas. There are five families of Dorje Shugden, which includes the principle deity, Shize (pacification), Gyenze (increase), Wangze (control) and Trakze (wrathful), each represents different activities of Dorje Shugden.
Wangze is the control form of Dorje Shugden. When we propitiate Wangze, we invoke Dorje Shugden’s activity of control. However, that does not mean that this manifestation of Dorje Shugden is limited to only control activity and cannot assist in other ways. Any form of Dorje Shugden is complete in itself.
Therefore, either you pray to the principle deity of Dorje Shugden or Wangze, you are actually praying to Dorje Shugden, but praying to Wangze will invoke Dorje Shugden's special activity of control.
It's up to you to choose whichever practice you want to do. However, if your main focus is to deal with difficult people who create obstacles in your workplace, Wangze is an excellent choice.
To answer your second question, if you take Wangze as your practice, then, of course, it's natural for you to wear Wangze image and vice versa. However, there's nothing wrong to wear any one of them, as both are Dorje Shugden.
This is the link to Wangze practice:
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/dorje-shugden-wangze-for-power-and-influence.html

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